Alleged torture cops being booted out of police force

Last Updated on Wednesday, 3 June 2015, 1:15 by GxMedia

One of the policemen, who was allegedly involved in the torture of a teenager several years ago, has been ordered dismissed from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and his colleague’s future will be in the hands of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan told Demerara Waves Online News that he instructed that Corporal Mohanram Dulai be fired and that co-accused Inspector Narine Lall’s tenure in the force be revisited by the PSC. “I have instructed that both of them be fired and I understand that the Commissioner of Police cannot fire one of them. It has to come from the Police Service Commission,” he said.

“This new administration will not tolerate the burning of people’s privates by any policeman,” said Ramjattan. The two were promoted earlier this year to their current ranks, decisions that had been defended by Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud on the ground that they had not been found guilty of any offence.

Dulai and Lall were accused of burning the penis and testicles of then teenager, Twyon Thomas in November 2008 during a probe into the murder of former Region Three Chairman, Ramenaught Bisram.

The policemen were never found criminally liable because Thomas had not appeared in the Magistrates Court to give evidence. The youth was months later awarded millions of dollars in damages by a High Court judge in a civil suit.

The Public Security Minister defended government’s action to remove the police men from the force, saying that they were found culpable in the High Court. They were found liable in a court of law in relation to a matter that was of a criminal liability,” said Ramjattan who once represented Thomas.

Ramjattan said, through the Attorney General who was sued, the policemen were found liable by the High Court although the lawmen had not appeared personally in court.

Early signals that the new coalition government had wanted the services of the policemen terminated had come from President David Granger less than two hours after he had been sworn in to office last month.

Granger had said that there would be no place for torture cops in the police force because it is an international crime.

Asked whether the Executive was not interfering directly in the day-to-day management of the Guyana Police by requesting that the cops be removed from the police force, he said: “It is in the public’s interest that a force that is supposed to protect and serve do not have people burning up the penises of other citizens,”